, 1887-09-03
Our former vice Governor brings his

on cane-SugaT TO q close Ill CnfS issue,
and we believe our subscribers will have
been as pleased to read it as we have been
to publish it. Nothing can be of
greater Importance to the Inhabitants of
this island, whether directly engaged in
sugar cultivation or otherwise, than the
subject handled. Are these views cOrrectf
the island has a prosperous future before
it is the reverse true Z then is dismal ruin
awaiting MS. We believe that, in the main,
they are correct. Beet is at the end of its
tether, whereas the sugar.cane has many
yards left, ii we can only draw them OVt3 and
W are drawing them OUT The testimony
from several West Indian Islands and from
Demerara is that the pressure of the times
has suggested economies in the ordinary
working of the estates which were either
unthOught OF, or practised only by q clever
few, in former days. Moreover the spiritOf
scientific Improvement is spreading. Me.
thods which have been known for years,
but which the smaller islands AVE unac.
countably neglected, are attracting atten-
ton, and nave now been introduced,
as mentioned in the letter, on several prop
critics in this island, and we are glad to
learn that by next crop season a vacuum
pan plant will be erected at Barren Spot,
thus securing this great improvement for
q large group of properties. Such improve
ments as these will retain their full value,
even if the diffusion process should be- later
introduced, which We confidently bellows
it will, since that process concerns the ex-
traction Of the juice only, the evaporation
remaining unaffected, except so far rs q
large T evapoIating surface is required in
the earlier stages in order to get rid OF the
introduced water. In the mean time the
weather is to a remarkable degree IN our
z.- - LA ,,Na - 49,. affirmation nINostI1
come next year,we need not despair of being
athletic holdo on at least that period, and WHEN
things finally come to settle down there
is no good reason to fear that We shall not
be as we'll placed as the average Of our
neighbours and competitors.
L~iOhtboWrnS Mail Notes of Wednesday
calls attention to the poisoning of dogs in St.
Thomas, and asks "Is it not a pity that
the Humane Society are not able to recon-
mend some other, and more decent, way of
getting rid of these poor, but faithful animals,
who have to forfeit their lives on account of
the neglect of their owners to procure the bit
of brass?"
No doubt some better way could be recon-
mended. We have got rid of the system of
poisoning here, but whether a better plan
has been substituted we are not quite sure.
LII Will US IOLuCl1OCAO0 Oh"O CIV oHO
Of the Budget for last year the small item
'for poisoning dogs" was refused by the
Colonial Council, on the ground that the sys-
tenn endangered the lives, not only OF dogs
on which the tax had been duly paid, but
even those of small children; and the terms
of the grant were so altered as to ensure that
some other plan should beresorted to. Since
that time, now over a year, the dogs not
having a badge are liable to be caught by
individuals looking for the small fee paid at
the Police Office, and are then taken there,
and subsequently, killed, unless redeemed on
the advertised conditions. Some months ago
a letter appearedin the Bulletin" complain
ing of the manner in which the catching OF
dogs was carried out, and that letter evident
ly met with popular approval, for we sold no
less than a dozen extra copies OF the number,
an unheard-of event in our Office The letter
apparently had some effect in softening the
manners of the dc gcatchers, but not to the
extent desirable. for we have heard later of
rather cruel proceedings in this line, such as
carrying the dogs head downwards. A dog
in such a position, it is true, is much better
off than a man would be, and wesheard OF one
such unfortunate who struggled 80 effectively
that he finally broke away from his captor.
and ran for his life, followed by a crowd OF
sympathetic school children shouting .srun
dog! run dog!" We are glad to learn, how
ever, that within the last few weeks, the
matter has been represented in the proper